Making Lemonade!

You know that old saying about life handing you lemons....Well, that is kind of how this craft played out. But, I did not give up and I made some lemonade.

This is how we last left my post on paper casting.

 I couldn't get this to dry so I left it alone for the evening. Right before bed I went to check on it and it was dry but the layers of  Kleenex were NOT sticking together. I suspect it might be because this tissue is infused with lotion. The image was there but as soon as I tried to take off the mold, it wasn't. And so, I got out the trusty ModPodge and poured a fair amount into the recess in the back. I used the heat gun and got it to dry but when I turned it over, the image on the front kept lifting in layers. And so, it was time to make some lemonade. I wasn't sure if it would work but I got out my clear spray sealer and started spraying. I hoped this would give it a bit of a sturdier outside. And, it did. I must have given it 4-5 coats and left it for the night.

And, in the morning, it lifted right off of the mold so nicely. My next thought was to use water and paint it around the edge where I wanted the heart to end and them pull off the extra tissue layers so I would have a bit of a ruffle. I also got out some things to use for finishing the heart. I wasn't really sure where I was going so I grabbed a lot.

If you look at the above picture carefully you can see where I started with the water. Of course, it was right about at this point that I realized that the tissue was probably not going to tear off as I was expecting because it now had all of the coats of sealer. The sealer did what I wanted but now it was a deterrent. It took a bit of finagling and the rips didn't always go where I wanted but I got there in the end.

I really wasn't sure where to go next but I decided against using the cardboard heart shape as a base because I just didn't want another. I thought about making a wood pallet also but in the end I went with a canvas. I painted it red and then ripped the edges of two pieces of Valentine paper and decided how they would go.

I ModPodged the papers to the canvas and then started to think of all of the different embellishments I could use but, for whatever reason, I just decided to go simple. I stuck with the traditional red, white and black. The heart did need something so I painted the center red. I was going to paint more or add glitter or ribbon but, I stopped myself and just went with what I had.

When that was all dry, the last thing I did was to distress the edges with some black ink...and, I like it. It is definitely not what I was going for when I started and it did not go anywhere near the path I had thought it would take but, in the end, I like it. Not sure where it will end up but for now it is on the new shelf in the living room. I'll need to get a picture if that's where it decides to stay. We shall see. Stay safe and stay tuned.

P.S. As I'm looking at this again I'm thinking that I might come back and add a bit of red to the edges of the ruffle-it still needs something???!

I'm Seeing Red-Finally!

 So half of January is already gone and I am just starting to post my Valentine decor. I feel like I am starting the new year as I ended up the old one-running behind. I still have four weeks for this decor to be out before the green for St. Pat's invades so that's really plenty of time but I am already finding myself looking ahead to that day and even on to Easter. I've got to stop wishing my life away but I do get excited when I think about finding new decor and crafts and, with the addition of the new living room shelf, each month's decor will need to be a bit changed up so that is exciting too.

In any case, let's get started on the porch-again, poinsettias are not my favorites for after Christmas but they're red so they get a pass until I find something better.

I didn't use the silver mercury glass candle holders that I usually put here. I was looking for something different and have never really liked this area-I guess I was blaming the addition of the silver but, now that they're gone, I'm finding that I don't like it any better. Maybe its time for a total change-next year. Lol

I do still like this hanging heart that I made last year.

I really love that big space filled in with a picture. Not sure what I will do next month but we shall see.

Lol

I still absolutely love the sequin heart that my grand children and I made as gifts a number of years ago!

I have been having second-and third-thoughts about this corner cabinet. It is from Disharoon Valley Furniture and started out as pine. Then, when I was going through my "paint everything black" phase, it succumbed to my whim. As I look at it in the picture from the front door, I think it may be time for it to "go". I think the scale is off and I'm just not feeling it any more. But then, the symmetrical me takes over and knows I would have an issue because the chest on the wall is centered with the couch...not on the whole wall. If that cabinet wasn't there to fill the space and make the symmetry make sense, I know I would go crazy and just start looking for something else to put there. Not to mention, look how many of my favorite pictures it holds. I'm not leaning more one way than the other right now but I do think I will be pondering a solution before long. Lol

And, just when I thought I was done with Valentine crafts, this happened.

Yes, that's toilet paper! I saw a blogger do some paper molds the other day and I remembered that I actually did the same things probably 40+ years ago except when I did it, I put small pieces of paper in a blender and made a kind of paper "sludge". Then, that was pressed into a candy or cookie mold. I also filled them with beeswax one year. In any case, they turned out beautifully and I embellished them and gave them as gifts. Fast forward to now and I no longer have any of them left. If I remember correctly. I used a spray release in the mold and over time, the paper heart turned yellow and ugly.

This blogger used toilet paper and it looked easier to me so I thought I would give it a try. Of course, my Charmin' TP rips into pieces that were too small to fit the mold and I didn't want the "tear line" showing so I switched to tissues. The blogger used 6 2ply layers so 12 layers. Since my TP is 3ply, I went with 4 layers so the same 12 layers. But, that didn't look thick enough for me so I added another-now I have 15 layers. You just lay in the paper, spritz with water and push into the mold. It is taking forever to dry even after hitting it with the heat gun a bit so I am just leaving it for now and I will let you know how it turns out. The only thing I can see that might be an issue is that with the sludge, the whole mold was filled in. This one will be open at the back and, I'm assuming more susceptible to flattening. I'll let you know.

Here's what my Charmin' looked like.

My first thought was to make a bunch and use on cards but at the rate that its drying, it will be next year before I could get enough done. Lol

So that is it for now. I made another big pot of my Martha Stewart soup so I'm off to heat some of that up and then I promised Rory yet another fetch session outside-the third of the day so far. At least she's worn out when she gets done so she usually just looks for a comfy place to nestle in and she's done for a bit. Stay safe and stay tuned...and stay warm!

Filling Spaces

 After I bought some of the craft supplies that I showed you the other day, I got busy thinking of what I would do with them. Rory-a chocolate Labrador Retriever grand dog- is here with me for 9-10 days so I am sticking pretty close to home. She's been with me once before but she isn't as used to me as her fur-cousins so I don't like to leave her alone for a long time since she's in new surroundings and still not real sure of what's going on. With that in mind, crafting and finishing up the decorating seem to be the perfect solutions.

I had posted about another $Tree faux tile heart that was different from the first one that I did. It was much more neutral so that was my initial plan. Because I couldn't find a craft wood heart, I traced my previous craft shape on to cardboard and cut it out. Then I did the same with the tile.

Next I painted the heart with cream colored chalk paint and while that was drying, I decided that I wasn't crazy about the corrugated edge of the cardboard so I cut a second shape from foam core. The foam core just looks better from the edge.

And that is where I stopped taking pictures because I started fluctuating back and forth on how this project was going to continue. I couldn't really find a picture I wanted to use that would co-ordinate with the other supplies I had handy so I almost glued the middle piece back into the tile. Then I did an abrupt turn around and decided that I wanted something more dramatic in the middle. I had a piece of floral paper left from another project so I ended up putting that in the space and then simply embellishing with craft flowers that matched my paper. I had fully intended to have a bow but that didn't happen either. I didn't like the plain cream color so I used some red Tim Holtz distressing ink rubbed over the high points of the tile and then hit it with a bit of walnut ink as well. Even though the edges now looked better with the foam core, I still decided to put some vintage red tinsel around the edges. I'm not sure where this will end up but I like it. I didn't put a hanger on yet because I really think it will end up being a leaner on one of my shelves.

And then I had the wood heart that I bought to use as a base for a vintage Valentine "scene". I didn't want the painted look so I again used the Tim Holtz red ink on the heart and it looks like it was stained instead of painted which I like.

I attached the image that I printed to a piece of foam core with spray adhesive so I would have a total connection and then cut around it with an X-Acto knife.

Once she was cut out I placed her with the bottle brush tree on the base and then just started filing it in with things that I already had on hand.

For now she is sitting on the shelf in the dining room-yet to be determined if she will stay there but, she's cute.

I also got out my miter saw to trim down the edges of a Christmas craft that I did and thought I could live with the bottom border being different than the sides...I couldn't. And so now that is done too-of course, I won't need it for another year but....And, I left the saw out because I think there may be another project coming that will need some wood cut.

And so, those two things and so much time outside with Rory throwing her ball is about all that I am going to accomplish today. That dog could literally fetch that ball for hours on end. I have never had a dog that was so happy to fetch, retrieve, release and wait for your next throw. She is obsessed with her balls which makes having her follow you where or whenever super easy as I don't even have to call her name. I just squeeze one of the balls and she comes. As I was writing this, I felt a nudge on my leg and was greeted with this. Lol Guess she thinks we're heading outside again!

I'm off to put some veggies in to roast and then I think I will get a fire going. Temperatures are supposed to go way down tonight but I will not complain! Stay safe and stay tuned.

Surprise!

 Surprise! I'm back. Well, truth be told, I never left. I was supposed to be in St. Pete visiting daughter #1 and going to see Steve Martin/Martin Short tomorrow night in Clearwater. My daughter called last night to tell me the performance had been cancelled due to the wild fires in California. They are hoping to reschedule so I'm keeping my fingers crossed this will still happen but it won't happen today. We thought about going ahead with the visit anyway but, since she was just here, we decided to wait and see if we get a quick reschedule date instead. Of course, since I was already looking forward to so many things, I needed a pick-me-up today-not to mention food because I had pretty much emptied the fridge.

And so I set off on some errands and just happened to happen upon some things.

I love that heart shaped mini-crock I found at the $ Spot in Target. I also grabbed that thick wood unfinished heart in the Target craft section...thinking it might be the base for a vintage Valentine. I also picked up a heart shaped dough bowl and a heart shaped cheese board-thinking I had better have some kind of a Valentine get-together this year to use my new finds. 

And the I found the "real touch" tulips. They are beautiful and I couldn't resist! I'm also thinking ahead to another faux tile heart and I picked up some packages of craft flowers. Everything I bought was on sale-a must at HL.

I again found the last vintage metal standup in $Tree. This one is Mother Goose for Easter. I'm pretty sure they must have had Peter Rabbit also so I will probably try again soon to find it. And then I found the vintage Valentine yard stakes-I'm a sucker for anything vintage.

I have absolutely no idea what I will do with them but I know I won't stick them in the ground so I set out to snap off the stake. Since these things cost $1.25 each, I figured it would be pretty easy to snap off the stake. I did the cupid first and it took all of about a minute and it was off. Of course, it was soldered on pretty tight right at the bottom so I did cause a small hole there but that is easily fixed with some spackle. And then I turned to the dog and I had to eat my words about shoddily made because that stake was meant to stay on that dog FOREVER. Of course, once I've made up my mind about something, there's no turning back so, after much muscle and maybe a few not so nice words, I managed to get that stake off as well. Of course, he has a much larger hole but again, nothing I can't jerry rig. Of course now that I have them off of their stakes, what am I going to do with them...that is the question.

Since I am not going to be out of town, I will be able to keep daughter #2's dog for them as she and her family are off for a winter vacation. She'll be here tomorrow so I am glad I bought some craft supplies and lots of food. She and I can be hunkered down and try to stay warm for the next week with the cold we're predicted to have.

Hoping that I will soon be able to get some pictures and start sharing the Valentine's tour. Until then, stay safe and stay tuned.

Domino Effect

 I'm not sure that is the exact analogy I'm looking for but, I have made the rows of dominos many times in my life and was excited to push the first one and watch the others all fall in turn. That is kind of what happened around here as I was decorating for Valentine's Day. I know I told you that I would love to change some things up but that I really didn't have either the time or inclination to do so. Well, it's funny how things can change on a dime.

I think I also told you that with the addition of the new wall shelf, I knew some things would have to move...but, boy, I just didn't realized how much. It was like I pushed the first domino and all of the others fell in turn. One "little" change precipitated an avalanche! I actually hoped to show you the first of the decor before I head off tomorrow but you will soon see why that isn't possible-blame Mother Nature!

As I have said before, I really don't like poinsettias after Christmas but, until I can find my way to find something else, the red of the poinsettia will do just fine on my porch for Valentine's Day. That is, until we hit temperatures below 50 degrees. I have been moving these plants in and out every day because we have been going below 50 at night for awhile. And now we are predicted to go way below-possible to freeze. And so, I am also concerned about my shamrock pots which have been blooming beautifully for the last month or so-and, which I will definitely want for my St. Pat's porch. With that being said...and with me leaving in the morning for 4-5 days, I decided I am over moving these things one more time. And so, here they sit.

That makes picture taking a bit of a problem-not to mention that I am STILL getting the last of the Christmas back into its home for the next 11 months. Every time I think I am done, I look over and see more things to do...as evidenced by this:

As of 10 minutes ago I think that is the last of it...and, I don't think it will get down before I leave.

The shelf is really what started the dominos falling as I had to steal things from several other areas and then find things to fit in those new openings...and, so on. I'm thinking that when I get home I should still have plenty of time to make some new things to fill in blanks because not everything really looks good where it landed but we shall see.

I was going to move the lamp on the blanket chest but, since I already use this print for Valentine's somewhere else, I thought I would try it here...and I like it. Lamp move will probably come next month when I don't have a St. Pat's picture to fill that space.

And, I have again moved a seasonal "dummy board" wreath into the hutch area and I like it there so much better than hanging in front of a mirror as I have done in the past. The back always reflected in the mirror and no matter how I tried to " gussy" up that area, it didn't look good. I'm guessing you will see a dummy board here for every holiday/season here on.

So that's it for the "sneak peek". I'm off to plan my packing. We have several fun things planned while I'm in St. Pete and a lot of it involves walking since my daughter in the historic district is close to downtown and walking is often so much better than trying to find a place to park. But, the temperatures look to fluctuate a lot for those days so I am guessing I will need to have the right clothes for any eventuality. Thinking we will be eating on the water Friday night and that looks to be chilly! I will be back to share my adventures soon. Until then, stay safe and stay tuned.